The elephant in the room is Ya Ya Toure

[Didsbury Dave]

I really don't see the problem with Yaya. He'll just play a little deeper with De Jong is all.

-----Yaya - De Jong

Johnson - Nasri - Silva

-------Aguero

Well that's everyone's perception but my points are that I'm not sure that's what Mancini will want, and I'm not sure how good he actually is in that role.

 

[Fuzzmaster101]

I can't believe anyone is suggesting that Yaya can't play the deep CM role with NDJ because of one performance in the charity shield against last years champions having had a bitty pre-season due to injury. For the rest of the season I suspect it will be his main role and he will make it his own. He played there the majority of his time at Barca and did a great job there, plus his runs forward will be even more effective from deep.

Yaya was clearly not match fit which is probably why Mancini left him on so he could get a full pre-season game under his belt before the all important first game of the season. I'm sure he'll be superb there against Swansea. The CS meant much more to United than it did to us. Would have been nice to win it, but ultimately not that important. Being ready for the first game of the season is essential.

 

[bluemoondays]

This season I believe BM will go for a more attacking formation in a lot of games but still revert to 4-2-3-1 for the "big" games with 2 holding DMs as Barry/Yaya & NDJ. I think Yaya will move to a CM role (probably with a licence to get forward like Lampard for Chelski) and for us to play with only 1 DM for a lot of games and go for a more attacking mindset. Bear in mind there will probably be a LOT of rotation amongst these players.

I expect to see either a 4-1-2-1-2 (Silva as Trequartista) or 4-3-3 (chelsea version) with NDJ as holding midfielder. Scary thing is we still miss another midfielder as cover for NDJ/Yaya unless you count Zabman who can do a job as DM but that leaves little cover for the back 4.

....................??/NDJ.....................
..........??/Yaya..........Milner/Barry....
...................Silva/Nasri?................
.........Dzeko/Balo.....Aguero/Tevez.....

OR a 4-3-3 with attacking wingers like Chelsea

......................??/NDJ...................
........Barry/Milner.......??/Yaya........
Silva/Aguero.......................Balo/AJ
..................Dzeko/Tevez................

We are definitely light on midfield areas as we only have Yaya, NDJ, Barry, Milner, Silva and AJ after taking out the kids & SWP/MJ/Weiss. This is made a bit easier by some of our forwards i.e. Balo playing as an inside forward role but low on CMs/DM cover. In both a 4-3-3 and 4-1-2-1-2 we only have 4 CMs/DMs for 3 positions as Silva and AJ aren't CMs. Can Nasri play as a CM?

 

[Andouble]

I think it's just for convenience that we put Yaya on the same line as NDJ (--Yaya--NDJ--) when writing out our formations, but he'd of course play slightly more advanced with a license to go forward. Yaya to me seems like he has a very good vision of the game and is often in good positions.

He wouldn't be a DM, and he wouldn't be an AM, he'd be an out and out CM. And he'd be one of the best in the league.

We don't need to play 2 distinct DMs as long as the team defensive strategy is strong.

Hate to bring up those f*ckers, but unless you count Anderson (I don't really, because he is shite), the closest they have to DMs are Carrick and Fletcher. And DMs they are not.

 

[LongsightM13]

When Yaya is good, he is very, very good.
But when he is bad he is absolutely fucking awful.
There should be no automatic choices. Every player should be selected on merit.
The problem is, we don't really have anyone else who does what Yaya does for us. So when he's off his game, we struggle.
Hope a proper pre-season improves his stamina by the way. He was breathing out of his arse after an hour formost of the early part of last season until he got a second wind.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

He wouldn't be a DM, and he wouldn't be an AM, he'd be an out and out CM. And he'd be one of the best in the league.

I actually agree with that - his best position would be a central midfielder in a 4-4-2 or even old-school 4-5-1. Like United played at the weekend, and Hughes used to play in his last season.

But I can't see Mancini playing anything other than "The Mancini" - 4-2-3-1 (with too large a gap between the 2 and the 3 and too small a gap between the 4 and the 2)

In reality we solved that "gap" problem for most of the last couple of months of the season but it was back at the weekend.

 

[SWP's back]

He wouldn't be a DM, and he wouldn't be an AM, he'd be an out and out CM. And he'd be one of the best in the league.

I actually agree with that - his best position would be a central midfielder in a 4-4-2 or even old-school 4-5-1. Like United played at the weekend, and Hughes used to play in his last season.

But I can't see Mancini playing anything other than "The Mancini" - 4-2-3-1 (with too large a gap between the 2 and the 3 and too small a gap between the 4 and the 2)

In reality we solved that "gap" problem for most of the last couple of months of the season but it was back at the weekend.

The very definition of reactionary.

As the week before there was no gap. In your own words no less.

One week great, one week not. All of it didn't matter as it was preseason and a time to tinker. We were also playing the best side in the country.

Let's wait and see eh?>

 

[Didsbury Dave]

When Yaya is good, he is very, very good.
But when he is bad he is absolutely fucking awful.
There should be no automatic choices. Every player should be selected on merit.
The problem is, we don't really have anyone else who does what Yaya does for us. So when he's off his game, we struggle.
Hope a proper pre-season improves his stamina by the way. He was breathing out of his arse after an hour formost of the early part of last season until he got a second wind.

Interestingly, or worryingly, I was told last season by a first teamer that he largely comes in late for training and tells the staff what he'll do that day, rather than the other way round. This was an exagerated bitchy comment, of course, but was not a lie.

 

[shikariblue]

Personally, I believe De Jong has a lot more heart than others for the club and his contract will be resolved. As for Yaya, I think he will be playing a bit deeper but will probably get more freedom to move up a little. I also agree that a 4-3-3 or 4-1-2-1-2 will be used for games we should be winning (although the 4-1-2-1-2 doesn't really help for width).

Against Swansea, I'd play a 4-1-2-1-2 and on the basis Aguero is sub, then Balo should again start up top (although he does need to get his arse in gear to prove his worth), or even Tevez can play there and play just behind Dzeko.

---------De Jong---------
----Toure-----Nasri/Milner-
---------Silva-----------
--Balo/Tevez----Dzeko---


However if BM is to play his 4-2-3-1 then I'd play Tevez in 'the hole' with Silva on the left and Johno on the right. This means Yaya will have to sit deep.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

He wouldn't be a DM, and he wouldn't be an AM, he'd be an out and out CM. And he'd be one of the best in the league.

I actually agree with that - his best position would be a central midfielder in a 4-4-2 or even old-school 4-5-1. Like United played at the weekend, and Hughes used to play in his last season.

But I can't see Mancini playing anything other than "The Mancini" - 4-2-3-1 (with too large a gap between the 2 and the 3 and too small a gap between the 4 and the 2)

In reality we solved that "gap" problem for most of the last couple of months of the season but it was back at the weekend.

The very definition of reactionary.

As the week before there was no gap. In your own words no less.

One week great, one week not. All of it didn't matter as it was preseason and a time to tinker. We were also playing the best side in the country.

Let's wait and see eh?>

Reactionary? It's a totally balanced comment to say

In reality we solved that "gap" problem for most of the last couple of months of the season but it was back at the weekend

What matters is the league, but you use the higher profile freindlies to guage how we're progressing..

Oh, and I think we are the best side on the country now Nasri's coming, not Man United. I think we're a better team of players and we have a better squad.